I'm the one who said, "paint is paint'. What I meant is that it should cost no more to paint a Vette versus a Monte Carlo. As an owner its up to you to decide the level of paint but "paint is paint" regardless. If no body work is needed its all the same. "Paint is paint".

 

Besides looking like a cheap job right off the bat with flaws and bugs in the paint, the above quote is the reason you don't get it painted on the cheap. Mine was painted by a good shop ( read expensive ) with Sikkens paint and 8 years later it looks like it was just painted last week.

 

Son of a B.....Looks like it was painted yesterday!!!

Seriously, I had mine done 4 years ago. Stripped all the way to the glass, smoothed and painted and cost me 6 large. Still looks new today....

 

I don't blame you. I cant see paying $7,000+ for a vehicle you drive.
Yes I understand that the prep work is labor intensive and the materials are expensive. Regardless whether you spend 7k or 1.5k when you drive your car you are subject to stone damage, parking lot dings, jealous fools, and the big one, an accident. I think some people's egos come into play about the painting a vette issue. Some may like to stick out their chest and say, I spent 7k to paint my vette. One also must remember each shop (Macco) is independently owned and operated. I took my vette to a Macco and the owner said it would take 3-4 weeks to make any repairs, perp, and paint. Most "good" body shops it takes 6 month to forever to paint your vette. Some shops MAY see a vette and go cha-ching!!!! I do know that it didn't take (6months+) to paint C3 vettes when they were on the road like the cars of today or if a shop chooses to focus on the vette and get it done. That bieing said, if you can afford to spend 7k or more for your vette, go for it, if you want to use Macco do so. I would feel better if a get a scratch or chip on a Macco job as opposed to dealing with car park paranoia and the psychological stress having paint damage after spending 7k or more on a paint job.

 

You bet...My neighboor had a 62 Pontiac GP, Maaco put a red Urethane paint, and you could not find a single flaw in the job, total cost was 750, he did the prep.

 

I've been a professional painter for 32 years. I've painted up to a B-52 and down to a 1/10 scale lexan R/C body. Maaco won't do anything you don't pay for. You drive it in and say paint it, that's just what they do, dirt and all! You can find a reputable painter in your area for a decent amount of $$. Remember, paint is not cheap, I have $500 in paint alone on my Harley and that's priner, 1 base coat, a candy, and clear. Only a quart of each! So to properly paint a car the size of a Corvette, you could VERY EASILY have $1000 to $1400 just in materials. MAACO buys their "everyday" paint that is not premium quality. I also can't scream loud enough to agree with all that have said "prep, prep, prep". I don't know all the ins and outs about Corvettes, but I know paint, prep, composite materials, and painting. Send me an email for more, no problem!! Tank

 

Whatever, insurance covered my paint job and I still stick my chest out and occasionally beat on it too

 

I hear alot of people talking about doing their own prep work and while that can work in your favor it can also work against you. Most body shops including Mako and Earl do have a waranty on their paint jobs however if you roll in with a self prepped car they will not warranty that paint job they cant, If you used a chemical in that prep that is not friendly to their paint or if you started sanding without first taking off all of that silicone based wax the prep looks great but the paint will not adhere. I have and enjoy me 78 vett, it is in need of a paint job but for 7+ grand I could get another late C3. I plan on going to the econo paint shops and see their work the best one gets my business

 

1. Don't do it.
2. It's crap.

As I pointed out (to some negative response) in the "I painted my car with Sherwin-Williams and a roller guys, whatdya think?" thread, if you can't treat a Corvette with the minimum of respect it deserves, sell it to someone who will and buy an '82 Camaro.

 

Or maybe buy a Ford F-350 truck, who really gives two hoots what you do, it's a truck!

 

My Maaco job looked good for about 6 months, then it started to spider vein and crack through the paint. Also, they do overspray everything. For a while I had color matched wheels and mufflers. After about 5 years, the clear coat is almost completely gone and I'm itching for a new paint job.

This time I plan to do all of the prep myself and my friends Dad is going to spray it. If you do decide to go with Maaco, buy some flex additive and beg them to mix it in with their paint before they spray your car.

 

BAAAAD PREP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DAH!!!!!!

 

I bought a vette with a MAACO paint job. It was taped (very poorly) and after less than one year, it is already bubbling/cracking. Right now it's a Monet (looks good at a certain distance) but when you look closely, you can tell there were spider cracks that were not handled properly. The last quote I got was 8850.00. The guy told me it would have to be "re-lamenated" where the spider cracks were. I'm definitely not the expert at this. If I am going to pay that much, I'd like to at least get some kinda warrantee on the job. OH, and I do keep my car covered and out of the sun. I prbably drive it about 2 times a week if the weather is good, so that's about all the sun it gets. Good Luck!!

 

Not only Macco but most shops wont warranty paint if you prep it yourself. One reason is that the agents you use may not allow the paint they use to adhere to the vehicle. Also it is a profit issue. They don't make any money if you don't buy the materials they use and are familiar with. Any way the shops get most of their profit from insurance work anyway and your car so will go to the back of the line.
If they're good you won't see your car for at least 6 months. Some estimates are padded in the event they find things that must be repaired before painting. If you are willing to do the work and paint it yourself, you will save a ton of money. If you take your time, you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

With any franchise, whether or not they can do the job really depends on the experience of the people working there more than the entire chain's reputation or portfolio.

Take McDonalds for example - sometimes you get fries that are perfect, other times they're over/under cooked and taste like crap. All depends on the people doing the work.

The best thing to do is go to your local shop and ask them questions - namely if they've ever painted a C3 before, and if you could see a vehicle they've painted. My 81, my first vette which I paid about $4k for (the car, not the paint), was painted at a local "econo" shop ... by a man who had been doing fiberglass and painting cars since the 60's, and he did an outstanding job. I paid about $1,000 for everything, which included fixing the broken fiberglass around the antenna, a couple of cracks, strip, prep, prime, paint, and a wet sand 90 days later (he wanted to wait until the paint was good & hard before wet sanding).

So anyway, don't worry so much about the SHOP that's painting it - pay attention to who the painter is, how long he's been painting cars, and what kind of prep he's going to do.

 

turtlevette

Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyman View Post
"You always get what you pay for."

no you don't,

you could pay 7k and get less than a macco paint job or worse.

You don't always get what you pay for. Ask around and you'll see.






That's true...I got that experience on my Cavalier when I got it painted this year....Way too expensive for the crappy job I got

 

We had a local MAACO paint my son's 69 Mustang SportsRoof right after he bought it in 1994. It was their $299 el cheapo paint job and we stripped all the exterior fixtures and emblems off the car ourselves. It came out great. He decided he didn't like the shade they painted it and had it re-done about three years later by the same shop but went with a single stage enamel that cost around $900. He then let the car sit for almost two years under a tree that caused the car to be covered with tree sap and bird crap. He'd given up on the paint job. The upper surfaces were stained and flat. I dragged it into my shop and put the orbital buffer on it with some Maguire's polishing compound. Stains gone. Flat oxidation gone. Car looks beautiful. It gets all kinds of raves on the street. MAACO and Miracle, etc. all apply a whole lot of paint day in and day out. Their painters become very skilled. Just don't let them do the prep work.

On the other end of the scale, I knew a guy who had a C4 Vette and had it painted by a local body shop for $5,000. He dragged it by to show it to me when it was done and it had huge fisheyes on the hood and roof that would have been unacceptable to me. He was really proud of the results. It's all in what your expectations are.

 

More thoughts on Maaco-

Each shop is different. What you get at one has no bearing on the next. In Mpls, Mn, there is a shop in St. Louis Park that does crap. I've used them several times as they were cheap, as were the cars they were painting. Each time I said never again!!!
Awhile ago I needed to have a car painted that I cared about and went to a different Maaco shop in Burnsville. They exceeded my expectations. We discussed body work / prep seperate from the "Maaco" plans for paint. Loved the price and paint.
Note: I've also paid $5K for paint elsewhere when my expectation was "paint it better than factory, and that one cannot tell it was ever painted. No tape lines, overspray anywhere". Talk to the owner. Is he/she in it for the $$ or are they experienced bodymen?

Maaco can be a great deal if you manage the process.

 

what a frikkin genius....



Quote:
Originally Posted by Vettebuyer5869
1. Don't do it.
2. It's crap.

 

It really is a hit or miss deal. You either get lucky and find a good painter at a Maaco shop who's been painting his whole life, or you roll snake eyes and get the dumb kid who's never seen a paint gun before.

My Dad is a professional painter/bodyman. He manages a shop that does all sorts of work for all of the BMW dealers in northern Ohio, and they also do Corvette restorations. Like everyone else said on here, it really is in the prep work and how much care is put into the job. Do they just strip the old paint off and then go right into the paint booth, or do they take time and sand it out, make sure all of the body lines are right, and make it flat and straight? Do they just schmuck a ton of paint on in 1 or 2 coats, or do they take the time to mist coat multiple, sometimes up to 10, and give a deep, rich finish.

You WILL get what you pay for if you sit down and talk with the painter and/or owner. Do your research before hand.

I don't know how Maaco sees it, but my dad's shop hates when people do prep work themselves. More often than not, people strip their paint and have absolutely no idea what they're doing. They sand things down and cut grooves into the metal, and then "mud" it up with disgusting amounts of bondo and other garbage. Then more time is spent fixing the mess that could be put into making a good paint job.

Best to leave the job to the people that are getting paid to do it.

If you want a 15 footer, go to Maaco. If you want a 5 footer, find a reputable local shop. If you want a show car, it'll cost you. How far do you want to go?